A recent article in the American Family Physician (2008;77(12) pp1678-1686) provides an overview of clinical aspects of food allergy, including the different manifestations of food allergy, the means of clinical diagnosis, and recommendations for patients with regard to optimal management of their condition.

A table of food and eating-related disorders that may mimic food allergies is presented in the article, providing a useful summary of non immune-mediated responses to foods. Several other tables and diagrams are provided in the article, covering aspects such as the primary food allergens affecting children compared to adults, potential cross-reactivity between airborne allergens and foods, plus process of clinical evaluation and confirmation of suspected food allergy.

Sections within this article discuss possible means to prevent food allergy, such as food avoidance and patient-familiarisation with food labelling requirements, and by implementing precautions such as breast feeding susceptible infants for a minimum of their first 6 months of life, plus dietary avoidance of key allergens by lactating mothers of infants with a family history of atopy.

While this article does not appear to cover significant new ground, nor present a comprehensive review of existing literature in this field, it presents a broad range of useful information in an interesting and user-friendly format.

If you would like to access this article, please contact the Allergen Bureau.